Fabricated steel water-cooled skewback channel with seamless furnace side face



3,173,403 CHANNEL 2 sheets-sheet 2 J. H. REIGHART WATER-COOLED SKEWBACK f lll/1111111111] FABRICATED STEEL.

March 16, 1965 Filed Oct. 5. 1961 INVENTUR. June H. ReL'gILwr BY ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3 173 403 FABRICATED STEEL WATER-COOLED SKEWBACK SETNEL WITH SEAMLESS FURNACE SIDE June H. Reighart, 1991 Lee Road, Cleveland 18, Ohio Filed Oct. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 142,648 Y 3 Claims. (Cl. 122-6) The invention relates to water-cooled skewback channels for supporting arched furnace roofs, and more particularly to such a skewback channel fabricated from preformed steel plates so constructed that a seamless ful'- nace side face is provided.

Recently, hollow metal water-cooled skewback beams or channels have to some extent replaced the conventional refractory skewback blocks. While these water-cooled hollow metal channels or beams are an improvement over the conventional refractory skewback block, they present certain disadvantages and difficulties which are overcome by the present invention.

Other such devices have been formed of heavy steel plates. While steel plates are not subject to the inherent hidden defects of metal castings, it is necessary that the steel plates be connected together by welding, and such fabricated devices as have come into use have been made with seams in the furnace side face thereof, Such welded seams exposed to the furnace heat are subject to the danger of leakage at such points.

-This is due to the hazard of human error in the perfection of welding workmanship, but even good Welding is undesirable in this area since the failure of a small fraction of an inch of a welded seam would result in a spray of water into the furnace and upon the extremely hot refractories therein.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a water-cooled skewback channel or beam fabricated from steel plates which overcome the above-mentioned objections and disadvantages of present practice.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a fabricated steel skewback channel or beam having a seamless furnace side face.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a fabricated steel skewback channel of the character referred to in which a single preformed steel plate forms the skew face which contacts and supports one end of the arched furnace roof and the bottom face which contacts and is supported upon the adjacent side wall of the furnace.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fabri cated skewback channel or beam of this type in which the only exterior weld seams are on the back or charging oor of the same- A further object of the invention is to provide such a fabricated skewback channel or beam in which the steel plates are so welded together that no weld is exposed to the furnace heat, thus avoiding the danger of leakage.

The above objects together with others which will be apparent from the drawings and following description, or which may be later referred to, may be attained by constructing the improved water-cooled skewback channel in the manner hereinafter set forth in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Having thus briefly described the nature of the invention and the objects thereof, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings showing preferred embodiments of the invention, in which;

FIG. 1 is a vertical, transverse, sectional view through a fabricated water-cooled steel skewback channel mounted upon the top of a furnace side wall and supporting one end of the arched roof of the furnace;

FIG. 2 is an elevation of the outer or floor side of the skewback channel;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view of a partly cornpleted skewback channel constructed in accordance with the invention, showing the fiat horizontal plate welded to the preformed plate and to an end plate;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the fabricated skewback channel shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and,

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view through a modification of the invention in the form of a fabricated hollow skewback beam.

Referring first more particularly to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in IFIGS. -l to 4, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout, a portion of a side wall of an open hearth furnace or the like is shown at 1, and the adjacent end portion of the arched roof of the furnace is shown at 2 in -FIG. l.

The fabricated, water-cooled steel skewback channel to which the invention pertains is indicated generally at 3 and as shown in FIG. l is mounted upon the top of the side wall 1 of the furnace in position to support the adjacent end of the roof arch 2. At 4 is shown a part of a conventional buck-stay attached to the outer side of the furnace side wall. The skewback channel may be attached to the buck-stay,

The improved skewback channel is fabricated from a preformed steel plate indicated generally -at 5 and two at plates, indicated at 6 and 7, and substantially triangular end plates 8 welded to opposite ends thereof, as will be later described.

The preformed steel plate S comprises the vertical upper portion 9, with inturned horizontal terminal flange 10 at its upper end, and below the vertical portion 9 is formed the inclined skew face portion 11, at the lower edge of which the plate 5 is bent as at v12 and extends outwardly or rearwardly in the horizontal portion 13 terminating at its rear or outer end in the upright ange 14.

The flat plate `6 is located in horizontal position and is assembled to the preformed plate 5 by welding the rear edge thereof to the upper edge of the upright ange 14, as indicated at 15 in FIG. 3, and welding the oppo- .site edge Ithereof to the inner surface of the inclined skew face portion 11 of the preformed plate, as indicated at '16 in FIG. 3, the horizontal plate 6 being located substantially parallel to the horizontal portion -13 of the preformed plate 5.

The triangular end plates 8 are then attached to opposite ends of the partially completed device. The inner surface of each end plate '8 is welded to the adjacent end of the horizontal plate 6, as indicated at 17. The back of the partially completed device being open at this time, the workman may easily perform these welding operations.

The at plate 7 is then placed in vertical position, at the back of the partially completed device, and the lower edge thereof is welded to the upper edge of the upwardly disposed flange 14 of the preformed plate and to the rear edge of the at horizontal plate 6, as indicated at 18, the upper edge of the vertical plate 7 being welded to the rear surface of the preformed plate 5 adjacent to the bend 19 therein between the vertical portion 9 and the inclined skew face portion 11, as indicated at 20.

The end plates 8 are then edge-welded to the adjacent ends of the preformed plate 5 and the horizontal and vertical plates 6 and 7, as indicated at 21. With this construction, a substantially triangular enclosure is provided and divided into upper and lower water-tight compartments, through which cooling water may be independently circulated. Y

For the purpose of circulating cooling water through these chambers, inlets and outlets, in the form of pipe sections, are provided for each chamber for connecting water pipes thereto. As shown in the drawings, an inlet 22 may be provided at one end of the lower chamber 23 arch 2 and hot side walls 1 of the furnace.

the upper chamber.

As shown in FIG. l, the completed fabricated skewback channel has an entirely seamless furnace side face, the preformed plate extending continuously from the terminal flange at the upper end of the channel, throughout the skew face portion 11, which contacts and supports the roof arch 2, around the nose 12 and throughout the entire width of the bottom wall 13 and the rear upwardly disposed liange 14.

There are thus no welded seams in the furnace side of the improved skewback channel exposed either to the direct heat of the furnace or in contact with the hot roof There is, therefore, no danger of leakage caused by opening of a seam due to the extreme furnace temperature.

T he only weld seams on the exterior of the device are on the back or floor side thereof, as indicated at 18 and 20, both of which seams are well away from the extreme temperature of the furnace and not likely to be opened by furnace heat, so that no leakage is likely to occur in the device.

In FIG. 5 is shown a modification of the invention in which the conventional channel flange is eliminated, the device being in the form of a substantially triangular hollow skew beam. In this form of the invention, the device is fabricated from the preformed plate, indicated generally at 5a, including the inclined skew face portion 11a with curved nose 12a at its lower edge, rearwardly disposed horizontal portion 13a and upwardly disposed terminal back flange 14a.

The upper end of the preformed plate 5a is bent backward, as at 28, terminating in the downwardly disposed flange 29. The horizontal flat plate 6a and vertical fiat plate 7a are the same as the horizontal and vertical fiat plates shown and described with reference to FIGS. 1

The horizontal plate 6a is welded, at its forward edge, to the inner surface of the inclined skew face portion 11a of the preformed plate 5a, as indicated at 16a, and at its rear edge to the upper edge of the back tiange 14a, as indicated at 15a.

The vertical flat plate 7a is welded, at its lower edge, to the upper edge of the back iiange 14a, and the rear edge of the horizontal plate 6a as indicated at 18a, and at its upper edge to the lower edge of the terminal tiange 29 of the preformed plate Sa, as indicated at a.

The horizontal plate 6a is welded at opposite edges to the end plates 8a, as indicated at 17a. Pipe connections 22a provide inlets and outlets for the lower chamber 23aand pipe connections 25a and 27a provide inlets and outlets for the upper chamber 26a, so that cooling water may be independently circulated through each chamber in the manner above described with reference to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

With this construction, it is seen that there is no welded seam on the furnace side of the skewback thus formed. The preformed plate 5a extends continuously from the downwardly disposed upper rear ange 29, throughout the length of the inclined skewback portion 11a, around the nose 12a at the lower edge thereof, throughout the width of the rearwardly disposed horizontal portion 13a and up to the upper edge of the upwardly disposed back ange 14a, so that no seams are exposed to the direct furnace temperature or to the hot roof arch or side walls of the furnace.

The only exterior seams are at 18a and 20a, on the back or oor side of the device where they are not subjected to sufficient temperature to cause them to open.

From the above it will be obvious that the water-cooled skewback channel fabricated from steel plates removes the hazard of human error in the perfection of welding work- CII manship, by the elimination of furnace-side welded seams thereon. Thus the danger of leakage and resulting spray of water into the furnace is eliminated.

A great number of skewback channels, constructed in accordance with this invention, have been in service on open hearth furnaces for some time without ever having caused a furnace delay, thus contributing materially to increased output of the furnace and consequent decrease ofproduction costs.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of theprior art, because such words are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved construction illustrated and described herein are by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details of construction.

Having now described the invention or discovery, the construction, the operation, and use of preferred embodiments thereof, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful construction, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A fabricated steel water-cooled skewback with seamless furnace side face for supporting a furnace roof arch, said skewback comprising a preformed one-piece steel plate having a downwardly and inwardly inclined portion forming a skew face for supporting a furnace roof arch, an integral outwardly disposed horizontal portion at the lower edge of the inclined portion forming a bottom wall for contact with the top of a furnace side wall, and an integral upwardly disposed terminal flange at the outer edge of said horizontal portion, a flat horizontal plate extending only from the inner surface of said inclined portion of the preformed plate to the upper edge of said upwardly disposed terminal ange of the preformed plate and welded at its outer edge to the upper edge of said upwardly disposed terminal liange and welded at its inner edge to the inner surface of the inclined portion of said preformed plate, a fiat vertical plate extending only from the outer edge of said horizontal plate to a point near the upper end of said inclined portion of the preformed plate and welded at its lower edge to the outer edge of the horizontal plate and to the upper edge of said upwardly disposed terminal flange and welded at its upper edge to the preformed plate adjacent the upper end of the inclined portion thereof and outwardly therefrom, end plates welded to opposite ends of said preformed plate and said flat horizontal and vertical plates, the ends of said horizontal flat plate being welded on their upper sides to the end plates, forming a hollow steel enclosure with upper and lower water-tight chambers therein, the entire area of said skew face and said bottom Wall being seamless, and means for circulating cooling water through said chambers.

2. A fabricated steel water-cooled skewback with seamless furnace side face for supporting a furnace roof arch, said skewback comprising a preformed one-piece steel plate having an integral upper vertical portion with an integral inturned horizontal terminal flange at its upper edge, an integral downwardly and inwardly inclined portion below said vertical portion forming a skew face for supporting a furnace roof arch, an integral outwardly disposed horizontal portion at the lower edge of the inclined portion forming a bottom wall for Contact with the top of a furnace Side wall, and an integral upwardly disposed terminal fiange at the outer edge of said horizontal portion, a at horizontal plate extending only from the inner surface of said inclined portion of the preformed plate to the upper edge of said upwardly disposed terminal flange of the preformed plate and Welded at its outer edge awa/tos to the upper edge of said upwardly disposed terminal llange and welded at its inner edge to the inner surface of the inclined portion of said preformed plate, a flat vertical plate extending only from the outer edge of said horizontal plate to a point near the upper end of said inclined portion of the preformed plate and welded at its lower edge to the outer edge of the horizontal plate and to the upper edge of said upwardly disposed terminal iange and welded at its upper edge to the preformed plate adjacent the upper end of the inclined portion thereof and outwardly therefrom, end plates welded to opposite ends of said preformed plate and said flat plates, the ends of said horizontal dat plate being welded on their upper sides to the end plates, forming a hollow steel enclosure with upper and lower water-tight chambers therein, the entire area of said skew face and said bottom wall being searnless, and means for circulating cooling water through said chambers.

3. A fabricated steel water-cooled skewback with seamless furnace side face for supporting a furnace roof arch, said sltewbaek comprising a preformed steel plate having a downwardly and inwardly inclined portion forming a skew face for supporting a furnace roof arch, an integral outwardly and downwardly bent terminal flange at the upper edge of said inclined portion, an integral outwardly disposed horizontal portion at the lower edge of the inclined portion forming a bottom wall for contact with the top of a furnace side wall, and an integral upwardly disposed terminal ilange at the outer edge of said horizontal portion, a fiat horizontal plate extending only from the inner surface of said inclined portion of the preformed plate to the upper edge of said upwardly disposed terminal flange of the preformed plate and welded at its outer edge to the upper edge of said upwardly disposed terminal flange and welded at its inner edge to the inner surface of the inclined portion of said preformed plate extending only from the outer edge of said horizontal plate to said downwardly bent terminal ange of the preformed plate, a flat vertical plate welded at its lower edge to the outer edge of the horizontal plate and to the upper edge of said upwardly disposed terminal iiange and welded at its upper edge to` the lower edge of said downwardly bent terminal ange of the preformed plate, end plates welded to opposite ends of said preformed plate and said flat plates, the ends of said horizontal at plate being welded on their upper sides to the end plates, forming a hollow steel enclosure with upper and lower water-tight chambers therein, the entire area of said skew face and said bottom Wall being seamless, and means for circulating cooling water through said chambers.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS PERCY L. PATRCK, Primary Examiner.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON,

OLEARY, Examiners.

IR., ROBERT A. 

1. A FABRICATED STEEL WATER-COOLED SKEWBACK WITH SEAMLESS FURNANCE SIDE FACE FOR SUPPORTING A FURNACE ROOF ARCH, SAID SKEWBACK COMPRISING A PERFORMED ONE-PIECE STEEL PLATE HAVING A DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY INCLINED PORTION FORMING A SKEW FACE FOR SUPPORTING A FURNACE ROOF ARCH, AN INTEGRAL OUTWARDLY DISPOSED HORIZONTAL PORTION AT THE LOWER EDGE OF THE INCLINED PORTION FORMING A BOTTOM WALL FOR CONTACT WITH THE TOP OF A FURNACE SIDE WALL, AND AN INTEGRAL UPWARDLY DISPOSED TERMINAL FLANGE AT THE OUTER EDGE OF SAID HORIZONTAL PORTION, A FLAT HORIZONTAL PLATE EXTENDING ONLY FROM THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID INCLINED PORTION OF THE PREFORMED PLATE TO THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID UPWARDLY DISPOSED TERMINALS FLANGE OF THE PERFORMED PLATE AND WELDED AT ITS OUTER EDGE TO THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID UPWARDLY DISPOSED TERMINALS FLANGE AND WELDED AT ITS INNER EDGE TO THE INNER SURFACE OF THE INCLINED PORTION OF SAID PREFORMED PLATE, A FLAT VERTICAL PLATE EXTENDING ONLY FROM THE OUTER EDGE OF SAID HORIZONTAL PLATE TO A POINT NEAR THE UPPER END OF SAID INCLINED PORTION OF THE PREFORMED PLATE AND WELDED IN ITS LOWER EDGE TO THE OUTER EDGE OF THE HORIZONTAL PLATE AND TO THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID UPWARDLY DISPOSED TERMINAL FLANGE AND WELDED AT ITS UPPER EDGE TO THE PREFORMED PLATE ADJACENT THE UPPER END OF THE INCLINED PORTION THEREOF AND OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, END PLATES WELDED TO OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID PREFORMED PLATE AND SAID FLAT HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL PLATES, THE ENDS OF SAID HORIZONTAL FLAT PLATE BEING WELDED ON THEIR UPPER SIDES TO THE END PLATES, FORMING A HOLLOW STEEL ENCLOSURE WITH UPPER AND LOWER WATER-TIGHT CHAMBERS THEREIN, THE ENTIRE AREA OF SAID SKEW FACE AND SAID BOTTOM WALL BEING SEAMLESS, AND MEANS FOR CIRCULATING COOLING WATER THROUGH SAID CHAMBERS. 